The Cabot Cabin
by tranq
Summary: AU. Alex Cabot is a writer and has gone to her family's cabin in New Hampshire to work on a new project. Olivia Benson is ranger working the Appalachian Trail. An early winter storm is moving in. f/f
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is my first go at writing fic, so feed back is appreciated. I started in on this last winter after coming across a photo of a little, blue cabin on the internet that was titled "Cabot Cabin." It gave me the idea for this story, or at least the beginnings of it.

AN2: I don't own the characters, unfortunately. They belong to Dick Wolf.

_"Falling temperatures and high winds will accompany 20-24 inches of snow over night in the White Mountains. Expect heavy drifting and road closures. Subzero temperatures will persist into next week and more snow is likely..."_

Olivia clicked off the radio, glad that she'd be headed home for the weekend in less than an hour. With any luck people would heed the winter storm warnings and stay put for a few days. Not that many people wintered in this section of New Hampshire. Summer and fall were the busy seasons, when she and her fellow rangers were overworked thanks to ill-prepared hikers on the Appalachian Trail.

Having finished the last of her reports, Olivia tidied her desk, pulled on her coat and grabbed her broad-brimmed hat as she knocked on her boss' door.

"Hey, Don, I'm headed out. I'll see you next week."

"Oh Liv! I'm glad you're still here. I know you're off duty, but can you swing up north on your way home? John's tied up with a moose-meets-motor-vehicle accident and is behind on his rounds. I wouldn't ask, but this storm is coming in so quickly."

"Sure thing. It's not like I've got any reason to rush home."

"Thanks. It shouldn't take you too long. The Johnson's and Old Ned should be just fine. And I think that writer up in the Cabot cabin said she was heading back to Boston this week."

Pushing back from her desk, Alex took her glasses off and rolled her shoulders. It was growing dark in the cabin; somehow the afternoon had gotten away from her, and yet she felt like she had made no progress at all. Maybe she should have stuck with historical fiction, she was good at that. But trying to pull apart the threads of an 11 year old boy's death after almost a century, having to limit her story to the facts, rather than being able to manufacture them, well, it was harder than she had expected it to be. Of course it didn't help that she had this nagging suspicion that she was missing some important piece of information.

Shaking the thought from her head, Alex put her glasses back on and got up to turn on some lights. It had gotten chilly and Alex glanced out the window, debating whether she should go out and get some firewood before it got too dark. The wind had picked up some and a few snowflakes were starting to fall. It looked like that storm was coming in faster than the morning weather forecast had predicted. Some extra firewood was probably a good idea.

Alex bundled herself up in her coat and an old scarf she had found in the trunk of her car. She paused as she put her hand on the doorknob. She was being silly. Despite the fact that she was 33 year old woman, she still felt the twinges of the irrational fear of bears she'd had as a child. It probably didn't help that her grandfather had told her such vivid stories when she was a child. Especially the stories about shape shifters that appeared as bears and wolves, abducting little girls like her who misbehaved.

"Snap out of it Cabot," Alex said to herself. "Nobody's going to get you wood for you. Just go get it and you can have a glass of wine." Opening the door, she stepped out into the cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'm still figuring some of this out as I go, but I have a good idea of where I want to end up. This chapter got a bit longer than I anticipated. Hope you enjoy!**

Stepping up into her jeep, Olivia set her hat on the passenger seat, on top of the plate of chocolate chip cookies the Johnson's had given her. She was cold and wet, and more than ready to head home after tangling with Ned. The man was just plain mean-spirited. She'd lost track of how many times he had threatened her with a shot gun over the past 12 years. At least this time he didn't pull the trigger. Shaking her head, she put the jeep in gear and pulled back out onto the road.

The snow was starting to accumulate. At least an inch had fallen since she had left the office an hour ago. Munch was going to owe her big. He was probably already at home and warm. She'd be lucky to get home before 7:00 p.m., between the weather and the ten mile drive up to the Cabot Cabin. And given the direction her evening seemed to be headed, she'd drive all the way up there and find out that this writer was long gone and back in Boston. Sighing, she reached over and grabbed a cookie; it would have to tide her over until she got home and made dinner.

Alex was just starting back to the porch with her second armload of wood when she saw headlights flash across the yard. Watching the jeep pull to a stop, Alex wondered who would be out this far in this weather. The cabin was 25 miles from town and at least ten miles from the nearest house. Climbing the steps to the porch, she put her load down before turning to the rail to see who her visitor was.

The jeep's engine was cut and Alex saw a tall figure step down, settling a broad-brimmed hat on top of their head. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as she recognized the ranger's hat. _I don't know what's gotten into me today, I'll be jumping at shadows next_, thought Alex. The ranger had reached the bottom of the steps.

"Good evening, ranger. It's a cold night to be all the way out here."

The ranger looked up and Alex felt herself being scrutinized as the ranger's warm, brown eyes traced a path from Alex's boots upward, finally locking with her own vividly blue eyes. _My god, she's beautiful. Not your typical ranger! _She suddenly realized she was staring when the corner of the ranger's mouth curled up into a cock-eyed grin.

"Yes, ma'am. It sure is cold. But with this storm coming in I was just doing the rounds. We didn't know if you were still out here. Don, my boss, thought you might have headed back to the city already. Since your cabin here really isn't set up for winter."

"I didn't expect winter to arrive quite so abruptly. But I've got plenty of wood to keep warm this weekend," Alex said, gesturing to the wood pile across the yard.

"Well, you're going to need it. This storm just seems to be getting bigger based on what the National Weather Service is saying. Let me give you a hand bringing up a few more loads."

"That's not necessary, Ranger Benson," Alex responded, reading the patch on the ranger's coat. "I don't want to keep you out in this weather. And I'm sure you have others to check on tonight."

"It's no problem. You're my last stop and then I'm headed home. I'd feel better knowing you had plenty of wood and didn't need to venture out for a few days while this storm blows through. But they say there's another front developing behind this one, so you might want to consider closing things up here. I think winter's here to stay, even if it is early this year."

They made quick work of bringing several more loads of wood up to the porch. Olivia clapped her gloved hands together, surveying the pile. "This should get you through the weekend, but you don't have much kindling here. Do you have an axe?"

"I'm sure there must be one in the shed, but I don't know."

"I've got one in my jeep. I'll just grab it and split a few of these logs for you."

"That's very kind of you. Can I offer you a glass of wine when you're finished?"

"Thanks, but I probably ought to head home." Olivia, seeing a flash of disappointment cross the other woman's face, quickly added, "but a cup of coffee would be great, if it's not too much trouble."

"No trouble at all. It's the least I can do. You're helping me even though you're off duty," Alex said. "And it's a Friday night. I imagine you have better things to do."

"No, ma'am. I'm just headed home to my dog, a hot bath, and a book."

A smile lit up Alex's face. "Good!," she said, faintly blushing, "I mean...I... I'll just go start the coffee." But as she turned toward the door she stopped and added, "and please, call me Alex. You're going to make me feel old if you keep calling me "ma'am", Ranger Benson."

"Alright. Then you should call me Olivia."

Olivia retrieved the axe from her jeep, part of her wishing she was just headed home. This was going to be her first weekend off in a month. She had been anticipating doing absolutely nothing tonight but soaking in the tub and starting one of the novels she had picked up at lunch. But another part of her was happy to have an excuse to spend a little more time with the blonde. She couldn't be sure, but she thought Alex might have been asking about her Friday night plans with a little more than a passing interest. And she'd definitely been staring when Olivia had first arrived. Shedding her coat and hat, Olivia made quick work of several logs.

She was just stacking the last of the kindling when Alex came to the door to let her know that the coffee was ready. Standing there in the open doorway, in her stocking feet, jeans and a blue cashmere sweater that accentuated her subtle curves, Alex was more beautiful than Olivia had first thought. When she had first taken in her long legs and her stunning blue eyes. Olivia grabbed her hat and coat and followed Alex inside.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: This chapter took me some time to figure out. I hope it was worth the wait and that it starts to put a few of the bones of my story together for you. The P.D. James reference is a tiny tribute to the author who passed away last month. Alex's book about Bonny and Read, is based on the real-life women pirates by those names. The Boston City Guard were founded in 1910 by a teacher at English High School, as a sort of vocational public school and an analog to Boston Latin, where many of the city's elite families sent their sons. I appreciate the reviews, please keep them coming!

"Just put your things on the coat rack and make yourself comfortable," Alex said, walking across the open living area to the kitchen. "Do you take cream or sugar in your coffee?"

"A little sugar, please." Olivia wiped her boots on the doormat and hung up her coat and hat. Surveying the interior of the cabin, she took in Alex's workspace to the right of the door. A laptop sat open with a screen saver cycling through what appeared to be old family photos. Orderly stacks of paper, lines of sticky notes, and a few books covered the surfaces of the two wooden tables set together to create a corner desk below two windows. Olivia imagined it was a pleasant place to work in the morning; the windows faced south and east. Now that it was dark outside, the windows reflected back into the cabin. She could see Alex moving around in the kitchen, and her own reflection as she stood in front of the door. To her left, a fire was just starting to crackle in the fireplace. An old leather couch and two arm chairs were arranged in front of the fire with a thick sheepskin rug between them. Beyond these was a staircase leading up into a loft located over the kitchen, a low railing separating the space from the high rafters of the main living space.

"Come and sit down," Alex invited, setting a tray down on the table between the arm chairs. "I really appreciate your help tonight, Olivia. I'd probably still be out there in the dark carrying wood if you hadn't stopped in to check on me. And I hadn't even thought about kindling."

Settling onto the couch and taking the cup Alex offered, Olivia smiled and said, "I'm glad I could help. Like I said, we weren't sure you were still out here. Are you planning on staying much longer?"

"I had originally planned on going back to Boston last weekend. But getting this book going seems to be harder than I anticipated." Alex paused, taking a sip of her coffee. "I suppose I should start thinking about packing up and closing the cabin down if winter's come to stay. I was just hoping I would have a solid outline before I had to go back to the distractions of the city and my family."

"It's hard to say, but this storm is shaping up to be a big one and there's another one right behind it. You should have a day or two of decent weather for travel if you wanted to head back after this storm ends. Once they clear the roads, that Volvo of yours should get you through."

Olivia took a long sip of coffee, enjoying the warmth. She gave an involuntary shiver at the contrast between the hot coffee warming her insides and the cold of her damp uniform. Closing her eyes, Olivia took another long drink. "Mmmm, thanks for the coffee. It's just what I needed."

After a moment the brunette opened her eyes and smiled at Alex, who was watching her intently. Alex shook her head slightly, tearing her eyes away from Olivia, and asked, "A long day?"

"Actually, it was pretty slow since the autumn leaves are starting to fall. And then with this storm coming in, the tourist season is pretty much over. But this will be the first weekend I've had off in a month."

"And here I am keeping you from getting started on it," Alex apologized.

"That's okay. Like I said, my big plans include a dog and a little reading. I've got all weekend to do nothing."

"And what does a ranger read?"

"This ranger reads a little bit of everything," Olivia answered. "I've even read a few of your novels, but I picked up a P.D. James novel for this weekend."

"That sounds like an excellent choice for a relaxing weekend. I love her books."

"You said you were starting a new book. Is it another colonial Boston book? Or are you going to write a follow up to your Bonny and Read novel?" Olivia asked with interest.

"I think you're the only person I've met who has expressed any interest in a book about cross-dressing, bisexual women pirates," Alex laughed. "No, my editor has forbidden me from writing another Bonny and Read novel."

"That's too bad. I like the couple Boston books I've read, but I think your characterization of Bonny and Read was much more compelling."

"Well, thank you. I really enjoyed writing them. Maybe someday..." Alex answered a bit wistfully. "No, now I'm trying my hand at some non-fiction. And "trying" seems to be the operative word today. Actually, maybe you could help me with something.

"Part of the reason I decided to come up here to the cabin to work was because the project I'm working on is tied to this area. But it turns out that I'm hopeless with maps and places that don't have street signs. I've spent all day trying to locate a certain Moose Creek Falls. It doesn't seem to be on any map I can find. I also have a story about a cache of Indian gold that was supposedly buried at the base of the falls. And the fact that it was at least a semi-popular hiking destination with groups of the Boston City Guard in 1913 and 1914. But none of that seems to be helping me track this place down. Have you ever heard of a Moose Creek Falls or this legend about Indian gold?"

Olivia laughed, "If I had a dollar for every story I've heard about buried Indian gold, I could retire. Some of the stories are pretty old, but a lot of them are manufactured by parents trying to get their kids excited about going camping. The same thing could have happened with your City Guards. That would explain why you can't find any other evidence for the story. It could have been made up by a particular troop leader to motivate the boys. I don't know of a Moose Creek Falls, but some names never make it on a map, and some places have several names. If you have a map, I could make a couple of educated guesses for you."

"That would be great," responded Alex, rising from her chair and heading toward her desk. "I've got several maps over here."

Olivia put her cup down and followed Alex, watching her leaf through a stack of maps. "If you have a topographical map, that would be best." Alex pulled out a 1:50,000 map showing the northern portion of the White Mountains and offered it to her. "A 1:25,000 would be better, but this might work. Do you have a pencil?"

Olivia laid the map down as Alex handed her a pencil and turned on a desk lamp. Tracing her finger over the map, Olivia began circling several unmarked spots on the map. After a few minutes she straightened and said, "Those are some possibilities, but I could be more precise with a more detailed map. I wouldn't recommend heading off into the woods with this to guide you."

"This is great. Maybe I could take further advantage of you and convince you to play tour guide for me." Alex stepped closer to Olivia and leaned over the map, bracing herself on her elbows. "You have marked a bigger area here to the north. Why is that?"

Olivia barely heard Alex's question. _Was the blonde flirting with her? _As she took in the curve of Alex's backside in her skinny jeans as she bent over the desk, Olivia began to imagine what it might look like in something skimpier and lacier. Alex had pulled her long hair to one side as she pored over the map and Olivia could see the delicate line of her neck and the barely pink of her ear lobe. She abruptly shook herself, before her imagination ran away with her, and spoke, her voice a little huskier than she would have liked: "That area has a number of smaller streams and a pretty drastic change in elevation. I haven't hiked there much, but I know there are a number of falls that don't show up on this map." Catching Alex's eye as the blonde turned away from the map, she added, "Unfortunately, this isn't the best time of year to make a tour of the backcountry, unless you're a hard core hiker or climber."

"No, I suppose not. Are you cold?"

"Wh...what?" Olivia asked, startled by Alex suddenly reaching out to touch Olivia's collar.

"Oh! Your shirt is soaked. I thought I saw you shiver. You must be freezing! Come back over to the fire where it's warm." Alex ran her hand from Olivia's collar, across her shoulder and down her arm, before grabbing her hand and gently tugging the ranger back toward the fire. "Sit down and I'll warm up your coffee."

"Um..., thanks?" Olivia was more than a little bewildered. After the turn her thoughts had taken while she was admiring Alex's body and the tingle she could still feel in her fingers where Alex had grasped her hand, she was just thankful that the blonde thought her shiver was cold-induced rather than the product of lust.

Alex returned with more coffee and a fleece blanket. "Here, this should help warm you up." She settled onto the opposite end of the couch and tucked her feet up under herself. "I hope you didn't get so wet helping me with the firewood."

Olivia smirked into her coffee cup, silently admonishing herself to drag her mind out of the gutter. Alex was clearly being sincere; it was just in Olivia's mind that that comment was a double entendre. "No, a tree dumped a load of snow down my jacket when I was checking on Old Ned. Now there's someone you might ask about Moose Creek Falls. He grew up here and used to lead hunting parties all over the backcountry. But I wouldn't advise going over there on your own. He likes to take potshots at anyone who comes in range of his house."

"Sounds like a character. Do you really think he might know something?"

"Maybe. I can try to ask him on Monday when I make my rounds."

"I didn't realize checking on the welfare of residents was part of a forest ranger's job. I thought you mostly made sure campers were obeying the rules and educated the public about plants and animals."

"It depends on the kind of ranger. You're thinking of the interpreters. They're mostly seasonal employees. I'm law enforcement and while it's a bit of a gray area, we try to keep up good relationships with the residents in the national forest. They're often the ones to report problems to us and because they live here they're more invested in the area than visitors. And law enforcement coverage can be thin out in rural areas, we're often first responders in cases of emergencies because we're already in the area."

"Ahh, that explains why you're wearing a gun. I have to confess that I'm more of a city girl. I haven't really spent any time in the great outdoors since I was a kid. We used to come up here every summer for a month before school started. But after I started college, I always seemed to have other, more important things to do. Or at least they seemed important at the time."

Olivia listened as Alex reminisced about summers spent rambling through the woods, nights around bonfires exchanging ghost stories and toasting marshmallows with her family. Finishing the last of her coffee, she sat her cup down on the end table, the motion breaking Alex's focus on memories that seemed to belong to another person's life they were so distant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ramble on."

Olivia set aside the blanket Alex had given her and slid to the edge of the couch. "It sounds like you have some fond memories. I hope you'll continue to spend time up here, now that you've come back. This cabin is built in one of the most beautiful little valleys, in my opinion. Although I don't know how you manage to get much work done with your desk in front of those windows. The view must be spectacular during the daytime. I'd have trouble staying put."

"That was a long time ago, and like I said, I'm much more of a city girl nowadays. And even back then I didn't really like to stray too far on my own. My grandfather was a convincing story teller and I was all too willing to believe his stories about wolves and bears that abducted little girls who wandered off by themselves. But it certainly is beautiful up here," Alex said with a pointed look at Olivia.

Olivia laughed, "Well, there aren't any wolves here anymore and as long as you keep your food and trash properly secured, bears shouldn't be a problem. But I can do a quick check around outside before I leave if you like."

Alex blushed and Olivia quickly added, "It's easy to convince yourself there are things out there in the dark. Sometime I'll have to tell you about the monster raccoon that chased me part way down a mountain." Rising from the couch, she continued, "Thank you for the coffee, but I should get going before this storm gets any worse. And I'm sure Sadie, my dog, will claim she's starving to death when I get home."

Striding to the door, Olivia pulled her wallet from her inner coat pocket and turned to give Alex her card. "If you do run into any trouble, call dispatch and they'll send someone out. I'll stop by on Monday to make sure you've weathered the storm alright." Her fingers brushed Alex's as she handed over the card, and again she felt that warm tingle. Reluctantly she pulled her hand back and reached for her coat and hat. She put her jacket on and zipped it halfway up before grasping the doorknob. She paused when Alex said her name.

"Olivia. Thank you for all of your help tonight. I hope you have a relaxing weekend."

Olivia turned back and smiled crookedly at Alex. "It was my pleasure, Alex. Keep yourself warm this weekend and don't hesitate to call that number if you need anything." Then she pulled open the door and settling her broad-brimmed hat onto her head, she stepped out into the snowy night and headed to her jeep.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry this took me a little longer than I anticipated. This is a bit of filler to get the ladies through the weekend. For all those of you hoping they would get snowed in together, remember that there is another storm on the way ;).

Franklin Carpenter was the founder of the Boston City Guard, a precursor to the Boy Scouts of America in the Boston area. He founded the Guard in 1910. He was also a teacher at English High School, a vocational school established in response to the college prep school, Boston Latin. While I am borrowing some historical figures here, I am taking whatever liberties I feel necessary for the story, with no offense intended to anyone. And of course, Olivia and Alex aren't mine, but I'm having fun playing with them! Thank you all for the reviews and encouragement!

AN2: Sorry about the formatting issue. Not sure where it came from and I posted and walked out to dinner, so I am just getting back to it.

* * *

Alex's weekend was dragging on and on. She sat back in her chair, putting her feet up on her desk. Staring out the window, she only half saw the snow whipping about as the wind howled around the cabin. Her mind kept wandering; she must have read the same page of Frank Carpenter's diary five times. She was starting to think that Carpenter wasn't going to help her figure out where Moose Creek Falls. Despite his detailed notes about places in the White Mountains that the Boston City Guard had camped and hiked during its first three years as an organization, there was nothing about any place with a Moose in its name, nor mention of any water falls. She needed another angle. But even what that angle might be was eluding her, as her thoughts kept turning back to a certain beautiful ranger.

Warmth. Everything about Olivia radiated heat. Her tousled, chestnut hair. Her deep, brown eyes. Her smooth, bronze skin. And strength... Alex felt a little flushed herself, remembering the feel of hard muscle and sinew as she had run her fingers across Olivia's broad shoulder and down her arm. She could still feel the clearly defined bicep under the fabric of her uniform shirt, still see the muscles of her forearms flex as she had braced herself on the desk over the map. Alex let herself fantasize about what it would it be like to be held in those arms, pressed close to Olivia's body, lips locked together...

The rattle of window glass brought Alex back to the present as a strong gust of wind hit the front of the cabin. "Great! As if this project isn't frustrating enough," Alex growled to herself, "now I can add in some sexual frustration!"

* * *

Olivia found herself re-reading the same sentence for the fifth or sixth time. Sighing, she tossed the book onto the coffee table and rubbed her hands across her face. "Arrgghh! Sadie, I can't get that woman out of my head." The black and gray Australian Shepherd mix dog lifted her head and cocked her ears toward the woman lying on the couch. Olivia sat up and swung her bare feet onto the rug. "Let's go shovel the walk. Maybe I can sweat her out of my system," she said to the dog as she stood up. "Oh, who am I fooling!" As she put on her socks and boots, Olivia kept up a one-sided dialog with her dog. "Yeah, I know I've got it bad. But you should have seen her. Legs that go on forever. I bet you'd have trouble keeping up with her on a run. And she has these blue eyes that lock on to you, but then she smiles and…well, it's like a little, heat seeking missile has exploded inside you. And her hands…she has these long, delicate fingers…." Sadie nudged Olivia back into the real world, then looked between her and the door. "Alright, I know, you don't care unless it involves a run outside or food. Let's get this done," Olivia said putting on her coat and grabbing her cap and gloves as she stepped outside. "What is this, the fourth time I've shoveled this weekend? I better remember to throw my snowshoes in the jeep, I may need them tomorrow." At the word snowshoes, Sadie let out a sharp yip and leapt up in the air, spinning around. "Sorry Sadie, no snowshoeing tonight, but I suppose you can come to work with me tomorrow. I can introduce you to Alex then."

* * *

After calling it a day, Alex had decided on a soak in the tub. Why she'd thought that would relax her, she had no idea now. Lying there in the warm, steamy water, sipping a glass of wine and listening to an old Billie Holiday record, just made her think more about Olivia. And her thoughts were anything but relaxing. She closed her eyes, finally giving in to her earlier fantasy. Sliding down further into the water, Alex put her left foot up on the edge of the tub as she caressed her own breasts, drawing her nipples out into hard peaks. Biting her lower lip, she traced her right hand down, across her stomach and along her inner thigh. Imagining that it was Olivia's well-tanned hand, Alex drug her own fingers back up her thigh, gasping as they slid through the slickness that had already accumulated. Although her eyes were closed, she was seeing Olivia's warm, brown eyes urging her on. Alex repeatedly traced a path around and over her clit until she couldn't stand it anymore. Thrusting two fingers inside herself, she dropped her left hand to her clit and in seconds made herself cum.

* * *

Straightening up her living room, Olivia picked up the book that she had finally finished after working off some of her pent up energy. She had shoveled at least another 6-8 inches off her driveway and front walk, and then had thrown a ball for Sadie for a while longer. As she looked for a space for the book on her overly full bookshelves, Olivia came across one of Alex's novels. Pulling it out, she flipped to the back cover, looking for a portrait of the author. It was a black and white image in the paperback, but Olivia was able to imagine the pale gold of her hair, the captivating blue of her eyes, and the delicate pink of her lips that didn't quite meet in the middle. In the photo, Alex was wearing glasses and long, dangling earings; while it was subtle, it was clear that she was wearing makeup too; propping one elbow on a bookshelf as she turned toward the camera, the very ideal of a literary figure. Olivia lightly traced one finger along Alex's cheek and across her lips, letting herself imagine for just a moment what it would be like to do it in person. What it would be like to kiss those lips. Shaking her head, Olivia put the book back on the shelf and turned back to the living room. Deciding that she'd done enough, she shut off the lights and headed to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry this update took a bit longer. Holiday travel got in the way. This chapter sort of sets things up for Alex and Olivia to get closer and also to start unraveling the death of Henry Cabot. Reviews are appreciated as always. And of course, I still don't own these lovely characters.

She felt the light tickle of fingertips tracing the line of her jaw, brushing across her lips, only to be replaced by soft lips. They left delicate kisses on her mouth, across her cheek, and down her throat. Slowly opening her eyes, she looked up at Alex and released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Alex smiled a lazy, easy smile, and moved over her, straddling her hips. She was naked, completely naked, and Olivia reached out to put her hands on Alex's hips. "Ah ah ah, no touching," Alex admonished, as she grasped Olivia's wrists and leaned over her to place them above her head, briefly pressing them into the mattress to make it clear that Olivia was to leave them there. Pulling herself back up, Alex placed a firm kiss on Olivia's mouth as she opened it to protest the one-sidedness of this encounter. "Just relax," Alex whispered, "you'll get your turn."

Once again sitting astride Olivia's hips, Alex began running her fingers up under Olivia's t-shirt, drawing them up a little higher each time after she returned to tease the sensitive skin at the waistband of Olivia's boxers. Struggling to keep her hands to herself, Olivia closed her eyes, willing herself to relax, until Alex slid her hands over her breasts. Olivia moaned softly as Alex brushed her thumbs firmly over her nipples. Her eyes popped open as Alex continued to tease her nipples, a current of electricity running from them through the rest of her body. Alex had closed her eyes, her mouth hung open just slightly, and Olivia could feel rather than see Alex very subtly starting to grind her hips down onto Olivia's. She couldn't stand it anymore. She had to touch Alex. She needed to feel the flushed skin of her throat and trace the pink as it spread down her chest toward Alex's breasts. She could feel the heat radiating off Alex's skin just before her fingers touched the beautiful blonde for the first time. She trailed one finger across Alex's collar bone and started down her sternum…

_BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ_

Olivia was ripped out of her dream by her alarm clock. Rolling over she slapped the clock into silence. Sadie jumped on the bed and gave her a sloppy lick across her cheek. "Ugh! Go away!," she muttered as she flopped back on her bed and threw her arm over her eyes. As Sadie paced around the room, Olivia processed what she now realized was just a dream. Her body slowly released most of the tension that had built while she slept. Her alarm sounded again, indicating that she had been lying there for 15 minutes. Sitting up and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed, she turned off the alarm. Sadie came to sit in front of her, looking at her with her head cocked to one side, a questioning look on her furry face. Olivia reached out and scratched the dog behind her ear, "sorry for shoving you off the bed, girl. Let me grab a shower and then I'll feed you. Okay?"

* * *

Alex was jolted awake. The darkness was just beginning to fade, as she looked around the loft, trying to determine what had awakened her. Picking up her phone, she saw it was only 5:53 a.m.. Then she heard it. The banging of metal on metal. Instantly she knew. Bears. She must have forgotten to put the padlock on the trash bin the night before when she took the trash out. It was cold and dark, and she hadn't bothered to put a coat on. After fighting with the lock, knocking over the recycling bag and then picking up the spilled cartons, bottles, and cans, she must have forgotten to relock the bin in her hurry to get back inside where it was warm.

Groaning, Alex burrowed back into her covers and pulled a pillow over her head. _What am I going to do now?! I hate bears! Maybe it will just go away on its own. Yeah, I bet it'll eat its fill and then wander off. I just have to wait it out._

* * *

_BLAM! BLAM!_ Olivia froze and softly commanded Sadie to heel. _What the hell?!Is it national fire your shot gun day?_ Kneeling, she attached a lead to Sadie's collar. "Sorry, girl," she apologized to the dog, "but I don't want you getting too far ahead of me. We've already had one close call with Ned shooting at us this morning." Rising again, she stood still for a few minutes, straining to hear any movement in the woods. Wind was the only thing she heard. She was nearly to the Cabot cabin. She'd had to leave her jeep about a mile down the main road from the cabin's access road because the road was drifted shut with all the snow from the weekend. There had been no trace of anyone else having traveled down the main road and she was too far from Ned's to be able to hear any gun shots if he'd had another unwelcome visitor. Finally, the cold and the wind forced her to move on. There had been no more gun shots and nothing appeared to be moving in the forest.

The terrain became rockier and steeper as she drew nearer to the cabin. The trees had thinned out a bit here and she could see smoke rising behind the grove of trees that protected the back of the cabin on the northwest. Olivia realized that she had misjudged her elevation a bit; she should have cut over from the power line cut to the access road sooner. Not that the road would have been easier going. The snow was just deep and with no base, her snowshoes would have sunk just as much on the road, maybe even more because the snow was likely drifted deeper there. Finally, coming through the last of the trees, she saw the cabin in front of her.

Suddenly Sadie froze, her hackles were raised and a low growl came from deep in her throat. A loud metal bang made Olivia turn away from the dog. A second bang, and she honed in on the sound. A large, black bear was pawing at the metal trash bin, flipping the lid partly open with her big paws. Olivia watched as the bear tried a third and a fourth time to get the lid open. She could hear the bear crying as if in frustration. One more time the bear hit the lid and it flew open. A smaller bear popped out and the big bear smacked it on the head before nuzzling its fur. Olivia laughed to herself. It looked like a cub must have gotten trapped in the trash bin and mama bear wasn't too happy with it. Mama bear rummaged around in the trash a little bit more, banging the trash can around in the bin, before returning to her cub and nudging it forward, indicating it was time to move out.

As the bears headed toward the woods, another movement caught Olivia's eye. She saw Alex round the corner of the cabin and raise a shot gun into the air. _BLAM! BLAM!_ Alex fired twice into sky. The big bear turned, rose up on its hind legs, and roared.

Olivia sprang into motion. She shouted at Sadie to stay, as she jumped out from the tree line waving her hands in the air and yelling at the bear.

_BLAM!_ Rushing forward Olivia felt a series of stings in her right arm. She saw the bear drop to all fours and amble quickly into the forest, shooing its cub in front of it. And then she felt her snowshoe catch on something in the deep snow and she was falling, twisting, into the snow.

Groaning, Olivia thrashed around in the snow, trying to free her foot. It didn't help that Sadie had leapt to her side as she hit the ground. Working her foot loose at last, she sat up and looked around to make sure the bear had truly gone. Looking the other way, she saw Alex, hand over her mouth and a look of shock on her face. Olivia started to get to her feet, but sat back down quickly as pain shot through her left knee.

"Fuck!," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh my God! Olivia!" Alex dropped the shot gun and hurried to Olivia's side. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to shoot you. I…You…You startled me and I accidentally pulled the trigger. How badly are you hurt? Oh God! I'm sorry!," the blonde blurted out as she sank to her knees by the wounded ranger.

Seeing the distress in Alex's eyes, Olivia tried to reassure her, "You didn't shoot me, Alex. I just twisted my knee when I fell."

"But you're bleeding," Alex exclaimed, waving her hands at Olivia's arm.

Olivia looked down and did indeed see blood seeping out of several holes in her coat sleeve. "Well, dammit." Looking back up, she could see tears forming in Alex's eyes. Softening her voice, she said, "It's okay, Alex. It's not that bad. There's just a couple holes in my sleeve and my arm doesn't hurt at all compared to my knee. It's partly my fault. I'm sure I must have startled you. I didn't think you'd be so quick to reload that gun and I was afraid that bear would charge you."

"No, it's all my fault. I forgot to lock the trash bin last night. I dropped the lock and the trash and…well, I just forgot to put the lock back on after I picked everything up," Alex sniffled out, tears now streaming down her face.

"Look, I really think my arm is gonna be fine. But why don't you help me inside and we can check it out. I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get a little cold sitting out here in the snow," Olivia said, watching as Alex shook her head slightly, mentally regrouping.

"Yes. Let me help you up," Alex offered a hand as she stood. Noticing the dog sitting patiently on Olivia's other side for the first time, she said, "Oh, this must be Sadie."

"Yes. Alex meet Sadie. Sadie say "hi" to Alex." At Olivia's command the black and gray dog stood and yipped twice at Alex, making the blonde smile.

"She's gorgeous, Olivia. And well-mannered."

Olivia stripped off her snowshoes and Alex helped her to her feet. They slowly made their way toward the cabin. Olivia insisted that they stop and lock up the trash bin and retrieve the shot gun. She didn't want Alex to have to come back outside on her own to do it.

Once inside, Olivia collapsed in the chair closest to the front door. Alex helped her take her boots off and propped her left leg up on the coffee table. While she went to get a first aid kit, Olivia stripped off her gloves and hat, and then slowly pulled her coat off. Dropping her gear to the floor, she unzipped her sweater and unbuttoned her shirt. She slipped her left arm out and then gingerly slipped the fabric down over her injured right arm. Sure enough, there was blood oozing from about half a dozen small holes in her shoulder and upper arm. It stung, but it didn't seem too serious. Her knee was definitely the worse of her two injuries.

Olivia relaxed back into the chair and reached over to rub Sadie's ears. The dog hadn't left her side the whole time. She could hear Alex rummaging around upstairs in the loft, looking for first aid supplies. Sadie shifted closer and laid her head on Olivia's good leg. The cabin was warm and the adrenaline in Olivia's blood stream was dissipating. Continuing to stroke Sadie's head, she let her eyes close as she waited for Alex.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Thanks for all the kind reviews! Hope you continue to enjoy. Still don't own these lovely characters.

Leaning over the railing of the loft, Alex intended to tell Olivia that she would be right down. But the sight of the brunette sitting back in the chair, in just her green uniform trousers and a gray tank top, made her pause. Her hair was tousled and the light from the fire place made it seem as if her skin was glowing. Olivia's eyes were closed and she seemed to be asleep.

Alex gathered the first aid supplies and some spare towels, and quietly carried them down stairs. As Alex approached, Sadie got up and went to lay in front of the fire. The dog kept her eyes trained on Alex, as if to make sure that she wasn't going to do her master any harm. Kneeling beside Olivia, Alex softly reassured the dog, "It's okay, Sadie. We'll get her fixed up. I promise I'll take good care of her."

At the sound of Alex's voice, Olivia stirred and sat up. "Sorry, I must have drifted off for a minute."

"That's alright. Arm or knee first?"

"If you have some ice for my knee, I can start on my arm. I've had my shots, but I'd rather not have a bunch of fabric fibers and buckshot in my arm for too long," Olivia said, inspecting her arm. "I'm sorry, but I think you're going to have to help me pick the buckshot out. I can probably get some of them, but I'm right handed and some of the wounds are too far on the outside of my arm for me to really reach."

"That seems only fair, since I'm the one who put them there," Alex responded getting up to retrieve some ice. She came back with an ice pack, a bottle of scotch, and two glasses. "I think we may need this. I'm a tad bit squeamish and I don't have anything stronger than ibuprofen to offer you."

Olivia settled the ice pack on her knee, sucking in a breath against the pain, while Alex poured them each two fingers of scotch. Handing Olivia a glass, she said, "I really am sorry. I still can't believe I shot you."

"Like I said, it was partly my fault. You didn't know I was there. But I would like to know how it is that you managed to reload that gun so quickly. I knew you had fired both barrels already, so I never even thought twice about jumping out when I saw that mama bear turn on you."

Alex took a sip of her scotch and set the glass down. Arranging the first aid supplies on the coffee table, she grabbed some alcohol wipes. "Bottoms up. I'll tell you the story about how I wanted to be Annie Oakley when I was a kid, while I clean up your arm."

Olivia followed Alex's instructions and finished off her drink, before handing the glass back. Alex gently started wiping the blood from Olivia's bicep and shoulder. The brunette was entranced by the long, delicate fingers. And as she worked, first cleaning off the blood and then very carefully using a pair of tweezers to pull the buckshot from seven tiny holes, she told Olivia how she had become so proficient with a shotgun. …"and that's how I came to be a prize-winning skeet-shooter by the time I was 14. Somewhere in my attic in Boston, there is a box full of trophies and ribbons. But I have to say, I'm rather impressed with myself. I wouldn't have guessed that I could still reload that fast after all these years." Setting the tweezers down, Alex said, "Okay, I think these are cleaned out as well as I can get them. Let me just bandage up your arm and we can see about your knee." She smeared some antibiotic ointment over the wounds, silently admonishing herself not linger too long. But the feel of Olivia's strong muscles lying under soft, warm skin, momentarily distracted her.

Clearing her throat, Olivia broke into Alex's reverie: "Thanks, it looks good. And remind me never to get on your bad side. Even if you haven't used a gun in years, you're obviously still a crack shot."

Laughing self-consciously and blushing, Alex quickly taped some gauze over Olivia's arm. Then gathering up the used alcohol pads and bandage packaging, she stood and crossed the room to the trash. Even though it took only a moment, it gave her a chance to compose herself. Returning to Olivia, she poured the brunette another two fingers of scotch before taking another sip of her own. "I can't imagine what you could possibly do to get on my bad side. But I'm pretty sure you must be sorry you ever met me. First, you're out in the cold toting and chopping wood for me, when you could be starting your weekend off. Then you twist your knee trying to save me from a bear; a bear that was only here because of my carelessness. And to top it off, I shoot you."

"Now that you put it all together like that, I should probably high tail it out of here for my own safety," Olivia said with a cockeyed grin on her lips. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'd get back to my jeep with this knee."

"Now that you mention it, why were you coming from the woods behind the cabin and where is your jeep?" Alex asked, sitting on the floor in front of Olivia.

Balancing her glass on the arm of the chair, Olivia described how she had left her jeep on the main road because the snow was too deep to get through. Instead she had snowshoed in, following the easier path that had led her higher than she had anticipated. Finishing her explanation, she added, "And I suppose I ought to call into headquarters to see if they can send someone out with a snowmobile to pick me up. It might take them a few hours, I hope that's okay with you."

"Of course, it's the least I can do. Why don't you call in and then we'll take care of your knee."

Olivia rummaged through her coat and found her phone. Placing a call to dispatch, she asked to be transferred to her captain. She quickly explained what had happened, although Alex noticed she left out the part about the shooting, before pausing to listen to the voice on the other end of the phone. After a few "yes, sirs," and "no, sirs," she said," I understand, sir. I don't think it will be a problem, but let me ask her." Covering the speaker on her phone with one hand, Olivia turned to Alex and said, "I hate to ask this, but with the weekend snow they're swamped with stranded travelers and accidents. Since I don't need immediate medical care, would it be alright if I maybe have to stay overnight? I can just bunk on the couch." Getting a smile and an affirmative nod from Alex, Olivia picked up the phone again: "It's not a problem, cap'n. I'll be just fine here. Sorry, I'm not there to help out." Saying her goodbye, she ended the call.

"I'm sorry, Alex. I promise I,…well, actually we won't get in your way. My captain said he'd let me know as soon as he could arrange for someone to get up here for me."

"Olivia, it's really not a problem. It will give me a chance to make all this up to you at least a little bit. Besides it's not like I've been terribly productive lately; I'm stuck and can't seem to figure out where to go next. And to be completely honest with you, I'm still a little shaken up from my encounter with the bears," Alex admitted.

"Oh, that reminds me," Olivia said, "I stopped at Ned's place before I came up here this morning. He didn't try to shoot me, at least not at first, so I thought I'd ask him about Moose Creek Falls. It was kind of weird actually. He's in his late 80's and his memory isn't always good, so I thought that I'd ease him into the topic by asking if he'd ever worked as a guide for the Boston Guard boys when they were up here. It would have been quite a bit later than the years you're interested in, but I figured that maybe there was some institutional memory even after a couple of decades.

"Ned was a guide for the Boston Guard for a few seasons, but it turns out that his uncle, Jim, was also a guide for them. And even though he was much younger than the boys in the Guard, Ned tagged along sometimes when his uncle was their guide. This would have been in the 30's. Apparently, Jim had started working as a guide before World War I, so he may well have known about Moose Creek Falls.

"But that's when things got a little strange. We were talking about some places up north, in that larger area that I circled on your map, and I asked him if he'd ever heard about a legend of Indian gold buried near by a waterfall. He laughed, but started listing off stories he had heard about buried gold. He mentioned a few streams and falls by name, so I asked him if any of them had ever been called Moose Creek Falls.

"The next thing I knew, he was yelling at me to get out of his house. I tried to calm him down, but he wasn't having it. So I left, but not before he took a couple shots at me. I guess I'm just lucky that I didn't twist my knee then and that he didn't hit me with either shot. I'd hate to have been stuck there with Ned," Olivia said, finishing her story with a chuckle.

Alex looked horrified. She had put her hand to her mouth in astonishment as Olivia was finishing her story. "Oh my god, Olivia! Not only did I shoot you, but I also got you shot at for asking about my research," she exclaimed.

"Well, this isn't the first time Ned has shot at me, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'm just sorry I didn't get anything more specific for you, Alex. I can probably make some better educated guesses though, with what Ned did tell me. When I get home, I'll pull out a more detailed map and see how much I can narrow the likely area of the falls."

Seeing that Alex still looked unsettled, she continued, "why don't we see about me knee. I think it's sufficiently numb to mess with now." And with that she levered herself out of the chair and to her feet. Balancing largely on her right foot, Olivia unfastened her gun belt and added it to the pile of outdoor gear by the chair. She then made quick work of her belt buckle and started unbuttoning her uniform trousers. Hearing a loud thunk, she looked up to see that Alex had abruptly set her glass down on the coffee table. Blue eyes were focused on her waistline and the blonde was biting her bottom lip.

"Sorry, I've got long underwear on under my trousers and I don't think I'll be able to get them up over my knee," she explained. "And I'd rather not cut them off since I didn't bring a change of clothes."

Olivia's words broke Alex's trance. "Uh,…oh,…uh, of course. Let me grab you a pair of shorts," Alex said as she jumped up and headed for the stairs. "I'll be right back."

As the blonde ran back down stairs, shorts in hand, she almost tripped on the last step. Olivia had finished undoing the button and zipper of her trousers and was bent over, carefully stripping them down over her knees. Alex sucked in a breath as she outright leered at the ranger's toned body. Olivia was wearing gray boy shorts that matched her tank top. She had turned to the left to brace herself on the arm of the chair and Alex had a perfect view. Her quads and glutes flexed taut as she supported her weight on her good right leg. Her breasts straining against the fabric of her shirt; her waist trim and just barely exposed as she leaned over. Olivia struggled to get her trousers and long underwear over her swollen left knee with her right hand, and she started tottering a little bit, hopping a couple times on her right foot to maintain her balance.

Quickly crossing the room, Alex dropped the pair of shorts on the coffee table. Placing her left hand on Olivia's back, she said "Here, let me help you." Then she slid her right hand around Olivia's side to steady her, while the brunette pushed her layered clothes to the floor.

"Thanks," Olivia said as she stood up into the blonde's arms, looking her in the eye and offering her a grin that Alex was starting to become familiar with, and was beginning to suspect was a bit flirtatious.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry for the long delay. Life got in the way. Hopefully this will tide you over for a bit.

Up close Alex's eyes were even more beautiful than Olivia had imagined. Grinning at the blonde, she watched her eyes lose focus, her pupils dilate, watched her unwittingly trace her tongue across her bottom lip, watched as she her chest rose and fell with a slow, deep intake of air. She could feel Alex's fingers on the bare flesh just below the hem of her tank, steadying her.

Another breath and Alex seemed to refocus. She stepped back a half step, dropping her right hand from Olivia's body. "You're welcome," she said. "Should we see how your knee looks?"

Olivia gently lowered herself back into the chair. Dropping to her knees in front of the brunette, Alex helped her settle her leg back on to the cushion on the coffee table. She drew her hands back along Olivia's leg to her knee, examining the swollen joint. Hearing Olivia inhale suddenly and deeply, she looked up to see her clenching her jaw against the pain.

"Pretty bad, huh?" Alex asked. "It's awfully swollen. I don't know that there is much we can do other than try to bring down the swelling. Why don't we get you moved to the couch so you can keep it elevated and iced. Some ibuprofen should help with the inflammation too."

Letting out the breath, Olivia said, "Okay, but can I stay here for a few minutes with the ice on before we try that?"

"Sure thing. In fact, it's almost lunch time. I don't know about you, but after all the excitement this morning I'm starving. Why don't I make us some lunch and you can eat here."

Olivia nodded in agreement, as Alex rose and made her way to the kitchen. Rifling through the cabinets and refrigerator, she called out, "How does tomato soup and grilled turkey and cheese sound? I'm not much of a cook, but I make a mean grilled cheese. And it's good comfort food. I could use that after this morning."

"Sounds good to me. I don't know the last time I had grilled cheese." Settling back, Olivia watched Alex move about the kitchen fixing lunch. She could just hear the blonde humming quietly as she stirred the soup and flipped the grilled cheese. It had a calming effect on her.

Alex moved efficiently, buttering slices of bread, heating a skillet, and assembling their sandwiches. "Sorry, all I've got is canned tomato soup. I usually make it with milk. Is that okay with you?," she asked, glancing over at Olivia.

"That's great," Olivia answered. "I usually make it with water, but that's only because I can never seem to keep fresh milk in the house. I don't use it fast enough before it goes sour. A hazard of living alone I guess."

"Unfortunately, I have a weakness for chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk before bedtime, so I seem to go through a gallon before it goes bad." Alex said as she flipped the grilled cheese, before giving the soup another stir. "So it's just you and Sadie then? Do you have family in the area?"

"Nope, it's just me and Sadie. But she's good company and keeps me out of trouble."

Alex dished up the soup and sandwiches, putting Olivia's on a tray. "What would you like to drink? I've got water, orange juice, soda, tea, or coffee."

"Water would be great, thanks."

After getting Olivia settled with her lunch, Alex set herself up at the coffee table. Leaning back against the couch she stretched her long legs out underneath the table. Curious about the attractive ranger, she prompted: "It seems like it could be lonely living up here year round. Even with Sadie."

Between bites of grilled cheese and sips of soup, Olivia explained that during the tourist season she worked so much that she never really had time to think about it. She admitted that during the off season it did get a little lonely, but she travelled a little, visiting friends, spending some time in Boston. Alex discovered that they both loved to spend time at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Aquarium. And she had even been to the same little restaurant in the North End that Olivia liked to go to whenever she was in the city.

Finishing up her soup, Olivia said, "That was great. Thank you. Sorry I can't offer to clean up."

"No, you need to get that leg elevated. Do you think you're ready to move to the couch now?"

"Sure, but I might need a hand."

Pushing her dishes back on the table, Alex got to her feet and took Olivia's tray to the kitchen. "Alright, just wrap your arm over my shoulder and I'll keep you steady."

Olivia pushed herself out of the chair with Alex's help and quickly placed her hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, guess I'm a little more off balance than I thought," she said, finding herself face to face with the blonde.

Alex smiled, "That's okay. I've got you."

Alex got Olivia situated on the couch, leg propped up on some cushions. She brought her a fresh ice pack and built up the fire again. Then she left the brunette to rest, while she cleaned up from lunch. Finding that Olivia had dozed off, Alex sat down at her desk to work.

A few hours later the quiet of the cabin was interrupted by the ring of Olivia's cell phone from somewhere in the pile of her discarded uniform. The ranger started awake and immediately swore as she felt a stab of pain in her knee.

"Hold on there tiger! Let me get it for you," Alex said as she jumped up from her desk and crossed the room. Rummaging, through Olivia's pockets, she found the phone just as it stopped ringing. "Are you okay?," she asked, handing the phone to Olivia.

"Yeah. I guess I fell asleep. What time is it?"

"It's almost 4:30."

Alex helped Olivia sit up, propping her back with more cushions. While Olivia listened to the new message, Alex went to the kitchen to refill Olivia's water glass and get her another dose of ibuprofen.

Tossing her phone on the coffee table, Olivia sighed. "That was Cragen. They can't spare anyone to come get me tonight. This storm is bigger than predicted and they're swamped with people going off the road and getting stuck. And it sounds like it's only going to get worse. I'm sorry, Alex, but it looks like you're stuck with me for awhile."


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry for the long time between chapters. Life happened and I got sidetracked. As always, I don't own the character.**

"Well, you're stuck with me too," Alex responded, "and honestly, if this storm is going to be that bad, I'm thankful that I'm not going to be out here all by myself."

After reassuring Olivia that she wasn't an imposition, and convincing her that she needed to just stay put on the couch, Alex started getting dinner ready. She thawed out some stew and baked some pre-made frozen rolls, and a dozen chocolate chip cookies for dessert. The two women passed the evening playing Scrabble and talking about their favorite books.

Alex was a bit surprised when Olivia beat her the first game, but she came back strong in the second game and was certain she was going to win the last game. They were down to their last rack of tiles. Alex led with a softball, adding "-tan" to "caps" and picking up a double word score in the corner. As Olivia pondered her last seven tiles, Alex saw that she was set to win with her remaining D, T, U, and X. She quickly saw that she could build across two other words to spell "tuxedo" and pick up a double letter score for her X.

Watching Olivia shuffle her tiles, then pick one up as if she was about to lay it down on the board only to put it back, Alex took the opportunity to further admire the ranger. Olivia had a habit of running her hand through her short cropped hair as she thought and now she had ruffled it enough that a few locks of hair fell across her forehead and others were standing straight up. Alex couldn't help imagining what it would be like to reach over and smooth down those errant locks. Although the few shadowing her brow made her even more dashing, especially combined with Olivia's cockeyed grin. Alex drifted further into her fantasy, picturing Olivia dressed in her formal uniform, pressed and polished, with just that forelock out of place. Better yet, Alex thought, I wonder what she'd look like in a tux. Temporarily distracted by imagining a night out on the town with the handsome brunette, Alex nearly missed Olivia laying out all seven of her tiles - I, P, Y, G, I, A, N - along the side of the board, playing off "call" and picking up a triple word score.

"Callipygian?" Alex scoffed.

"It means "having beautiful buttocks," and it means that I'm out of tiles and with that triple word score I win," Olivia said with a smirk. "Again."

"I know what it means," Alex pretended to snap, but she took all the sting out of her words by casting an appraising glance toward Olivia's own well-shaped buttocks, which unfortunately she hadn't really had the chance to admire since earlier in the day when the ranger stripped down in front of her. "But I want to know how you beat me. Not once, but twice. And you didn't just get lucky. No one gets lucky with words like "callipygian.""

"What? You don't think a law enforcement ranger should be able to beat an award-winning author?"

"No, it's not that. I'm not a snob," Alex hastily offered, not wanting to offend Olivia. "It's just that no one ever beats me like you did. I'm the reigning champion of Scrabble among my friends and family."

"So, you asked me, the woman you shot and then plied with whiskey, to play a game that you always win. Knowing that I was likely at a disadvantage playing against a skilled wordsmith such as yourself, even if I had been uninjured and completely sober," Olivia responded with an accusing tone. "Ms. Cabot, I think you were trying to take advantage of me!"

Flustered, Alex protested, "I did no such thing. You might recall that I let you pick which game we played, Ranger Benson!"

Olivia finally burst out laughing, leaving Alex with a puzzled look on her face. "I'm sorry Alex," she managed to get out between laughs. "The look of affront on your face was priceless." Calming down, she continued, "Full disclosure. My mom was an English professor and I did a double major in English and history in college."

"So, in fact, YOU were taking advantage of me when you chose Scrabble!," Alex accused, throwing a pillow at Olivia. "I demand a rematch tomorrow!"

Snagging the pillow out of the air, Olivia put it behind her head as she leaned back into the sofa. "I'm game. Maybe you want to make it a little bit more interesting," she suggested with an eyebrow raised in Alex's direction.

"What sort of wager did you have in mind?"

"Well...you do make a mean chocolate chip cookie."

"Cookies? You want to wager cookies? And what do I get when I win?"

"Hhhmmm, good question. Let's just cross that bridge IF we have to."

"I'll give you overnight to think of a suitable wager," Alex said, standing up. "And it better be good, because you're going down!"

And with that challenge Alex cleared the coffee table of dishes and the game board, before making sure that Olivia had everything she needed for the night. Turning off the lights, she headed upstairs to her own bed.

Olivia awoke to Sadie pawing at her arm. The room was nearly dark, the embers of the fire glowing dimly in the hearth. "What is it girl?," Olivia asked, sitting up and swinging her legs off the couch. "Do you need to go out?"

Careful of her injured knee, she slowly stood, testing her weight. Limping over to the door, she looked back to see the dog still sitting by the couch.

"Come on, girl, let's go out," she encouraged. "Come on, you woke me up. I know you can't be hungry. Alex fed you more than enough. And don't think I didn't see that extra bit of stew she fed you when she was cleaning up the kitchen."

Despite Olivia's coaxing, Sadie refused to come to the door. Instead she moved to the bottom of the stairs, looking back and forth between Olivia and the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: just a heads up, I may not post for at least another month and a half as I've got a really hectic schedule. I'll try to keep going on this, but won't make any promises. Hope you like it. And still don't own these character.**

Dropping her hand from the doorknob, Olivia listened to hear what was troubling Sadie. She stood frozen in place, trying to distinguish between the howling of the wind outside, the rattling of the single-pane windows, the periodic creaking of the old wood built into the cabin, and the low crackling of the embers in the fireplace. Hearing nothing out of place, she carefully made her way across the room, pausing by her dog.

"What is it, Sadie?"

The dog looked up at her and offered a low growl. Standing up, she put her front paws on the bottom step. Then she stepped down and wound herself around Olivia's legs before stepping back onto the stairs.

"What do you hear, girl?" she asked again. And as the wind momentarily calmed, Olivia heard it.

Alex was tossing and turning, rustling her bed covers up in the loft. She could hear Alex mumbling. Listening more closely, she could pick out a few words:

"...mean too...bleeding...no, no, please...I didn't..."

"It's okay, Sadie," Olivia said, stroking the dog's head. "Good girl. It sounds like Alex is just having a bad dream."

Olivia hesitated, the moved to return to the couch, but Sadie blocked her steps, herding her back to the stairs.

"Come on, Sadie. What do you want me to do? I can't just walk into her bedroom."

But the dog just looked at Olivia and then up the stairs.

"Oh, alright," Olivia sighed.

Stepping back so she could see the loft railing, Olivia called out softly, "Alex? Alex, are you okay?" Continued mumbling and rustling of sheets was the only response she received. She looked at Sadie, shrugging as if to say, "what do you want me to do?," but the dog continued to stare at her.

"Okay, okay! I'll go check on her, but remember she's the one who shot me today. If she's got a handgun in her nightstand...," Olivia trailed off as she signaled Sadie to stay and awkwardly began limping up the stairs.

Wishing she had thought to turn on a light downstairs so she could at least make out where she was going in the darkened loft, Olivia navigated toward the bed by the faint, blue glow of the bedside clock. She could just make out Alex's blonde hair against the white of the pillowcase. Alex was still mumbling incoherently, sounding apologetic for something one moment, and near panicked about someone bleeding the next. Her covers were kicked to the end of the bed and she lay sprawled on her stomach across the king-sized matress.

As she approached, Olivia quietly repeated Alex's name, hoping to wake her without startling her further. But Alex was too deep into whatever nightmare she was having. Sitting gently on the edge of the bed, she folded her right leg under her; the subtle movement of the bed still not disturbing the restless blonde. Olivia reached out and lightly placed her hand on Alex. As she again said Alex's name and whispered reassurance, she began rubbing in small circles across Alex's back, which seemed to calm her.

When Alex's mumbling began to quiet, Olivia spoke a little louder, "Alex. Alex, honey. You're having a bad dream. You're okay now." Finally, she felt a shift in Alex's body, indicating that she was coming out of her dream. Seconds later, she saw her eyes struggle open, blinking away her nightmare.

Alex stiffened when she realized that she wasn't alone. Olivia hastily sought to reassure her, pulling back her hand she said, "it's just me, Olivia. It's okay, Alex. You were having a bad dream."

Turning on the bedside light, Alex rolled to her side, facing Olivia, and raised herself up on her elbow. Rubbing her face and brushing her hair back, Alex focused on Olivia. "Oh, thank god. You're okay. I was having the worst dream. We were being chased by a huge bear and we were trying to find a place to hide. But there wasn't anything but this big dumpster. And it was weird because we weren't out here in the mountains. We were in Boston, running through the Common. Anyway, we finally find this dumpster and you were trying to help me up into it when the bear caught up to us. You shoved me in and the bear swatted at you. And I could just see you lying in the snow bleeding while the bear tried to get into the dumpster, which turned out to be filled with left over doughnuts from Dunkin' Donuts. It was horrible, it was one of those dreams that you're in, but you're also watching happen like a movie."

Rambling through her dream, Alex had unknowingly grabbed hold of Olivia's hand. As she finished talking, she realized that Olivia had taken her hand with both of her own and was softly massaging it. It was so calming. Alex could feel all the tension from her nightmare drawing from her body. Looking up from their joined hands, she met Olivia's eyes. And again she had a feeling of intense warmth rush over her.

"You're okay now," Olivia said softly. "And I'm okay too."

Suddenly realizing that Olivia was seated on her bed, in the loft, Alex sat up. "But your knee! How? You shouldn't have tried to come up the stairs!," she blurted out.

"My knee is actually okay. Besides, after Sadie woke me up because you were having a nightmare, I didn't have much choice," Olivia said laughingly. "She's a stubborn dog."

But Alex had already seen the concern in Olivia's eyes and she knew the brunette was trying to make light of her own concern about her nightmare.

"Well, I'm glad I have you two here to look after me."

"We're glad to be of service," Olivia responded, brown eyes locking with blue in a long moment. Then Olivia looked away and continued, "well, if you're okay now, I should let you get back to sleep." Letting go of Alex's hand she started to stand.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stay. I'd feel better and you won't be overworking your knee by going back down those steps." The words left Alex's lips before she had really thought them through. "I mean, I have a king-sized bed. There's plenty of room."

Olivia whipped her head around to look at Alex. Casting her glance over, Alex's tousled hair, the Boston Red Sox t-shirt she slept in, her long, long legs, she licked her lips. Looking back up at Alex's eyes she could see that her uncertainty reflected there, but mixed equally with a combination of hope and anticipation.

"Well, if it would make you feel better..." Olivia hesitated.

"It would." Alex pulled back the covers on Olivia's side of the bed.

"Okay." Olivia climbed in bed.

"Where's Sadie?"

"Downstairs."

"Don't you think she should get to sleep in the bed too? I mean, you two are like my dynamic duo. Saving me from the bears, rescuing me from my nightmares."

Laughing Olivia said, "I'd hardly say what we did counted as saving you. You were doing alright yourself. You may have an over developed sense of the dramatic after all those novels you've written."

"Well, I do say it," Alex huffed out in mock annoyance. Then she called, "Sadie! Come on up, Sadie."

The dog came bounding up the stairs and when Alex patted the bed she lept up and plopped down at Alex's feet. She looked over at Olivia with an "I told you so" look.

"You're going to spoil her, Alex."

"Well, maybe she deserves some spoiling. She's a good dog," Alex stated firmly as she turned out the light.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Sorry for the very long delay. This isn't very much, but I think it moves ahead with the plot-line I had in mind when I started this. Reviews appreciated as always.

* * *

A weak, gray light crept into the room as Alex lay sandwiched between Sadie and Olivia. Overheated, she had awakened just before dawn to find herself wrapped around the brunette's side, the dog tucked up behind her legs. Although feeble, the light gave her a chance to study Olivia. There was no question that she was one of the most attractive women Alex had seen. But as she examined Olivia's features she decided that she preferred her with the ready grin and suggestively raised eyebrow that felt like they were only for her.

Sighing, Alex rolled away from Olivia, negotiating her legs around Sadie so she could put some distance between them. Sadie wriggled her way over and rested her muzzle on Alex's thigh, looking up at her expectantly. Reaching out, Alex scratched behind the dog's ears as she began to organize her day mentally.

Yesterday was basically a wash. She had accomplished nothing toward her project. Maybe she was just being foolish, thinking that just because she could write a decent mystery novel, she could tackle a real life mystery. But when she had found the trunk full of her great-grandmother Ellerton's diaries, she had gotten lost in them. She was finally able to understand some of the seemingly random bits and pieces her great-grandmother's dementia-riddled mind would string together in an attempt at conversation when, as a child, Alex and her father would visit Catherine.

Sadie pawed at Alex's leg and thumped her tail against the bed. Refocusing on the dog, Alex smiled and slid out of bed so she could let Sadie out and start some coffee. She would let Olivia sleep and make another run through the Boston City Guard notebooks she had collected. Olivia had mentioned that Old Ned had been pretty upset when she asked him about Moose Creek Falls. Maybe she could find something if she was able to isolate records relating to City Guard outings in the area Olivia had indicated on the map as a likely spot for the Falls. Especially since that seems to have been the area she and Ned had been talking about when he blew up.

Alex opened the front door to let Sadie out. The snow was still falling heavily, but the wind had died down over night. Alex went to the kitchen to start some coffee, then stirred up the fire and added another log to it. She went to check on Sadie and found her sniffing her way around the clearing that served as the cabin's front yard and parking lot. Shivering, Alex watched as the dog flipped snow up into the air with her snout. Alex could remember loving to play in the snow as a kid, but now the thought just made her cold. Turning away from the window, Alex went to get a cup of coffee and then went to her desk to get started, again, on the notebooks. She let Sadie in before she sat down.

After the dog had got a drink and eaten the left-over hamburger that Alex had put out for her, she went and laid down beside Alex. This is where Olivia found her as she came down the stairs a couple hours later. Neither Alex nor Sadie seemed to have heard her get up. Alex was sitting back in her chair, feet propped up on her desk. She was reading through a notebook, held on her lap, tracing her finger under each line as she progressed. Her other arm dangled over the arm of the chair, her fingers idly rubbing Sadie's head.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I may start posting more frequent, but shorter chapters. I'm trying to develop a writing habit and am writing for little chunks of time. Hopefully that won't be too irritating for you all.

"Are you trying to steal my dog?"

At the unexpected voice, Alex let out a squeal and tipped backward in her chair. Sadie scrambled to get out of the way. Olivia limped quickly across the room as if she could reach Alex before she hit the ground.

"Alex! Are you okay?!," Olivia blurted out as she reached the blonde. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that."

Alex's eyes were closed and she was shaking. When she didn't answer Olivia feared that she had hit her head too hard on the wooden floor. She quickly, but carefully, lowered herself onto her good, right knee and reached out to touch Alex's face.

"Alex? Alex, honey. Can you hear me?," Olivia asked as she stroked Alex's cheek with her thumb.

Alex's blue eyes flashed open and the blonde burst out laughing. Olivia just froze; her hand still on Alex's cheek.

Between fits of laughter Alex tried to answer Oliva. The brunette had pulled back from her and was looking at her uncertainly.

"Yes! I'm fine," she finally managed to get out. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"Well, you scared me just lying here. I thought you had hit your head and were having a seizure!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, but as soon as I hit the ground and realized that I was okay, it just struck me funny," Alex explained as she calmed down. "It's like divine retribution. I shoot you. You scare me half to death."

Pushing herself off the ground, Olivia steadied herself before offering Alex a hand up. Alex was surprised at how easily Olivia was able to pull her from the floor. She was so surprised that she wasn't ready for it. She fell into Olivia, just managing to get her hands up, so that she didn't make full body contact with the brunette. Unfortunately, that made things more awkward as her hands were planted on Olivia's chest; the heels of her hands resting on the top of her breasts.

Olivia's hands flew up to steady her, grasping her upper arms. Olivia cast a quick glance down at the placement of Alex's hands before looking into her blue eyes. She smirked as Alex blushed.

"We seem to be dangerous for each other."

Regaining her composure along with her footing, Alex slowly pushed back against the brunette, enjoying the muscles she could feel as they merged into Olivia's full breasts. Changing the topic in hopes that Olivia might be distracted from her thinly-veiled attempt at not groping her, Alex asked if Olivia's knee was better.

"Well, I'm not up to running a marathon, but it does feel a little better. I made it down the stairs alright. And apparently without too much commotion since you didn't hear me."

"I definitely didn't hear you. I had planned on helping you down. Why don't you sit down and I'll make us some breakfast. Now that the adrenaline is wearing off I'm starving."

"I could help," Olivia responded. "You took care of everything yesterday. I don't want to take advantage of your hospitality."

"I was just going to make some French toast with sausage and fried apples, so it's nothing too complicated. But I suppose you could slice up the apples while I start the sausage."

Olivia took a seat at the kitchen island and started slicing apples, watching as Alex put the sausage on and mixed up the batter for the French toast. Alex deftly cracked the eggs with one hand and then rapidly whisked in the rest of the ingredients.

"You seem to know your way around a kitchen," Olivia observed.

"I like to cook, especially when I have someone else to feed. But I wasn't always so successful. Once I caught my stove on fire boiling water for pasta. After that I decided to take some cooking lessons. It seemed silly that I, a grown woman, couldn't manage to feed myself without running the risk of burning down the house."

As she finished slicing the apples, Olivia asked, "what were you so focused on that you didn't hear me come downstairs?"

"I was rereading one of the Boston City Guard notebooks, looking for clues as to where Moose Creek Falls might be located. I was thinking I might have better luck if I tried narrowing my focus down to places that are in the vicinity of that area you picked out on the map. That's really the only new lead I have to go on."

"What is this project you're working on? Why do you want to locate Moose Creek Falls? I can't imagine that you're looking for buried treasure."

"No, I'm not looking for lost gold. It's more of a family mystery I'm trying to solve. It's sort of a long story."

"I don't have anywhere to go," Olivia prompted. "And I did risk my life talking to Old Ned for you."


	12. Chapter 12

"It's a long story and a bit of a mystery," Alex said.

"We've got lots of time, Alex. I don't think we're going anywhere soon with all this snow," Olivia responded as she slid the apples across the counter. "Maybe another perspective would help."

"It certainly can't hurt. I was so sure that I would be able to piece this together, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere.

"When I was a kid, my dad used to take me to visit his grandmother, Catherine. She was one of those very proper, old ladies. Always dressed to the nines, ramrod straight posture, perfect manners. But she also had a wicked sense of humor. She always snuck me an extra chocolate chip cookie before we left even though my parents always said that I'd had enough. She had an amazing library too. And every time we visited she would have a book picked out for me to read. Of course, she expected me to read it and then we would discuss it over tea the next time I visited.

"As she got older, she developed dementia. She would confuse me with her own daughter, my grandmother, Elizabeth. On her bad days she would slip all the way back into her own childhood. She would cry and call for her younger brother, Henry. Pleading with him not to go out into the woods. To watch out for bears and Indians, that the gold wasn't worth the risk. Most of it didn't make much sense to me, or my father.

"Her brother disappeared on a camping trip with the Boston City guard when he was 11. It was thought initially that he had drowned, but that wasn't a particularly good explanation apparently, because Henry was a great swimmer.

"Last spring I was helping my parents go through the attic, when we found a trunk filled with letters and diaries my great-grandmother had written and received before she got married. There were also a couple of Henry's notebooks, mostly sketches of birds and plants. I started reading through it all and began to understand some of what my grandmother used to ramble on about as her dementia got worse.

"It seems that there was some suspicion that Henry may have been murdered and his body buried in the woods where it was never found. There was a massive search of the area, but all that was ever found was a bloody and torn shirt downstream from Moose Creek Falls, where Henry had been camping with the City Guard. The shirt could have been Henry's, it was the right size, and similar to shirts he owned, but no one could say for sure.

"One of the guides was a Canadian boy, Charles Montclair. From what I can piece together, it seems like he knew something, or thought he did. But he was 19 years old, and not long after Henry disappeared in August 1914, Charles went home to Canada to enlist. Canada joined in World War I with Britain. Charles shipped out to France later that fall and died in the Battle of Ypres in April 1915. Without him, and with the growing focus on the war, it seems that Henry just slipped through the cracks.

"I was between projects this fall when I finished going through all the journals and letters in the trunk. It got me thinking maybe I could solve the mystery of what happened to Henry back in 1914. But I'm starting to think that it's an impossible task."

By the time Alex finished her story, breakfast was ready and she set a plate in front of Olivia.

"So, if you have any ideas about how I could actually make some progress, I'd love to hear them. I'm about ready to give up. I originally gave myself until the beginning of November to figure out if I could do this. But I just can't find my way into it and it's driving me crazy!"

"And you're not willing to give up, which is why you're still here almost two weeks into November?," Olivia asked.

"No, apparently not," Alex sighed. "I don't like to quit, but I don't know what else to do."


	13. Chapter 13

A.N. I know this is a long time coming, but I hope this keeps you appetite whetted. Still don't own these characters.

The women settled into breakfast, sitting side by side at the kitchen bar. The wind buffeting the windows of the cabin and the popping from the fireplace the only sounds as the women ate in companionable silence.

Alex was surprised at how comfortable she felt with Olivia, and with the silence between them. Coming from a wealthy and prominent Boston family, she had grown into adulthood being constantly pursued and matched up with eligible bachelors from the "right" families and rising stars who were looking for an entrée into the old money and blood that would give them credibility. Most of them were nice enough young men, but always full of themselves and the great things they were doing, which they laid out for her like a resume while sitting in one of Boston's best restaurants, or during intermission at the opera or ballet. Not that she had any interest in any of the men, but their interest in her as a credential, a stair-step on their path to success, would have put her off no matter what. Even after she had worked up her courage after grad school to tell her parents that she was gay, the pattern continued, but with the lesbian daughters of the "best" families or the up-an-coming in the world of finance, medicine, or law. She had quickly realized that there was not much to separate these men and women that her parents thought suitable for her. While the women were often attractive, and occasionally Alex would follow through for a few months of dating, in the end she found them to be looking for the same thing as the young men who had courted her. They were interested in her only for what she represented, the Cabot name and fortune; they were so full of themselves that there was no room for a real conversation, or even quiet companionship.

"Alex?"

"Hmmm?"

"Earth to Alex. Hello?"

"Oh! I'm sorry. I guess I got lost in my thoughts," Alex said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts of the past. "Was that enough breakfast for you? There's a little bit of the sausage left."

"No, I'm good. That was excellent," Olivia responded. "In fact, I don't know the last time I had more than a bagel or protein bar for breakfast. Sadie and I will both be packing on the pounds if you keep feeding us this well."

"Well, they say the way to a dog's heart is through her stomach."

"It's a good thing I've already figured out you're trying to steal Sadie, or I might be offended by that," Olivia laughed.

Rounding the island to clear the breakfast dishes into the sink, Alex, winking at Olivia, quipped, "I actually hear it works on women too."


	14. Chapter 14

A.N. This really should have gone with the previous chapter, but I wanted to get something posted. I'm feeling more than a bit rusty writing too, so I'm hoping to get the rhythm of this story back. Just an FYI, the book by Cleves is real and like Olivia I've not read it yet, just heard an interview on a podcast, but it's definitely on my to read list now. And if you suspect that you recognize another SVU character popping up here, you are correct.

—

Thankful that Alex had turned to the sink to start on the dishes, Olivia mopped up the coffee she had gracelessly dribbled down her chin. At least she hadn't choked on it, she thought. Regaining her composure, she joined Alex at the sink, picking up a towel to dry the dishes. Leaning her right hip against the counter top so that she could take some weight off her injured knee, she had the opportunity to admire the blonde. She had pulled her long hair up into a messy bun, exposing her long, delicate neck. With her eyes, Olivia traced the tendon running up from Alex's collar bone, past her jaw, to where it disappeared behind her delicate, pink earlobe. Following the course of her jawline back down, she watched as Alex bit her lower lip in consternation as she scrubbed at a difficult spot on the skillet. Even washing dishes, Olivia was quite certain Alex was the most beautiful woman she had ever met.

As Alex moved to rinse the skillet, Olivia roused herself from imagining what it would be like to follow the line of Alex's neck, jaw, ear with her fingers and tongue. Clearing her throat, she said, "coming back to Henry…I'm surprised that the disappearance of someone from such a prominent family as the Cabots was dropped so quickly, even with the war starting."

"Henry wasn't a Cabot, though. He was a Drake. It wasn't until my grandmother, Elizabeth, great Grandmother Catherine's daughter, married Charles Cabot after World War II, that the Cabots came into the picture. The Drakes were from Bridgewater, south of Boston. The family owned an iron foundry going back into the 18th century, which put them financially into the upper class, but they over extended themselves trying to diversify into other industries. The need for things like cannon during the Civil War helped revive the family's fortune to a great extent, so that when Grandfather Charles fell in love with Grandmother Elizabeth it was seen as an acceptable match. Especially since it was the Cabot name that would persist. Had it been the other way around, a Cabot woman marrying a Drake husband, I kind of doubt the marriage would have ever happened," Alex finished with a tone that sounded a bit rueful to Olivia.

"It's funny, but for some reason the Drake name and Bridgewater rings a bell, but I can't imagine why," Olivia said as she moved toward a worn leather chair in front of the fireplace. Her knee was surprisingly better, but still not up to any prolonged standing. Alex followed, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the couch. Olivia had noticed that this seemed to be a favorite spot for Alex, who stretched her long, denim-clad legs out in front of the fire.

"I don't know how much history you read, but you might be familiar with the story of one of my great Grandmother Catherine and Henry's ancestors, Sylvia Drake. A popular history of her same-sex marriage to Charity Bryant in the early 19th century was published just a couple years ago."

"Oh, yeah! I haven't read it, but I heard an interview on the radio with the author."

"Rachel Cleves. I'd offer to loan you my copy, but it's back in Boston."

"I'm sure I can get Lena, down at the Book Nook, to order it for me, if she doesn't already have copy in stock. Which brings me back to our original topic, Henry's disappearance. I know you said you have letters and notebooks from Catherine and Henry, but have you tried looking at any of the local archives? Lots of towns around here have historical societies that collect documents. They don't always have the funding to establish a museum, so the material mostly sits in archive boxes. Lena's the official keeper of the local archive here. She keeps everything in an oversized closet at the Nook. Most of it's been catalogued though."

"I haven't looked into any local archives," Alex answered. "I have what we could find at home and then a friend helped me get copies of the material in the Boston City Guard archive."

"Before you give up on your project, you might have a look at some of the local archives. I'd be happy to introduce you to Lena," Olivia offered, "and she can definitely put you in touch with some other people in the area."

"Oh, that would be great, thank you!"


	15. Chapter 15

A.N. I know it's been forever. I hope you enjoy! Feedback appreciated.

Pulling her cell phone from the pocket of her uniform trousers, Olivia offered, "I have to check in with base, but I can give Lena a call afterward. "I don't know if you have time to stick around and go through the archives, after this storm clears out, but she might at least be able to give you an idea of whether there are any potential leads in it."

"That would be really helpful. I don't feel ready to give this up, but I really need to find something to prove to myself that this isn't just a wild goose chase. I'll leave you to your calls and go triage my inbox," Alex said, rising from the floor to head to her desk.

Pulling up the number for headquarters, Olivia touched the call button. Her side of the conversation was mostly filled with "yeses" and "okayes," as Cragen filled her in on the daily briefing. A short series of "buts" punctuated the conversation as it wrapped up. Olivia finished out the call, agreeing that there wasn't much she could do because of the injury to her knee and that it was a waste of time and manpower to send someone out to get her since she was safe and warm. Always responsible to her job and the people who relied on her, Olivia felt bad about not being able to help. But as she watched Alex working at her computer, she admitted to herself that she was glad to have the extra time to spend with the fascinating blond.

Dialing The Book Nook next, Olivia smiled as she was greeted by the crotchety-sounding Lena. She gave the bookshop owner a quick run down of Alex's project and ended the call, feeling optimistic that ALex might in fact have a reason to stay in the White Mountains a little longer.

Alex was busy typing away, so she thumbed through her own email. Most of it was junk, but she had an email from a college pal in Boston, checking to see if she was still planning on coming down over the Christmas holidays. Another friend was checking in to see if Olivia was up for some skiing when he and his family came up for Thanksgiving. She sent quick response to both. Yes, she'd be in Boston over the holidays, but hadn't finalized any plans yet. No, she probably couldn't go skiing, since she'd just done some sort of damage to her knee, but she'd still love to meet up for dinner or drinks. Finishing up her own emails, she saw Alex had moved on to sorting through papers and notebooks on her desk.

"So, are you a good news or bad news first sort of person," Olivia asked, walking over to Alex's desk.

"Well, it depends, I suppose. Is anyone maimed, dying, or dead?"

Olivia chuckled and shook her head no.

"In that case, I'm an instant gratification kinda gal," Alex responded with a lively smile. "Bring on the good news!"

Laughing out loud, Olivia filled Alex in on what Lena had told her. Lena did remember there being some material in the archive about the Boston Guard and their camping trips in the area. She also remembered something about a search for a missing boy, but it might have been after the time period Alex was interested in. Olivia saved the best piece of news for last. Lena's niece, Jude, who had worked summers at The Book Nook while in high school and college, had just started her senior honors thesis. Apparently Jude was going to create a digital history resource based on the archive her aunt had already painstakingly cataloged. Jude had already converted Lena's catalog to a search-able database. Lena, who was a self-avowed technophobe, had promised to contact Jude and ask her that she share her database with Alex.

"Oh my! That's amazing, Olivia," Alex exclaimed. "Do you think Jude will really be willing to share her data? I mean, did you explain that if I can get this project to go some where, I'll eventually publish it. Of course, I'd give Jude credit for her work. But she has no idea who I am…"

Raising her hand, to slow Alex's torrent of thoughts, Olivia said, "Whoa! Slow down. I'm pretty sure Jude will be willing to share her work with you." When she saw a shadow of skepticism pass over Alex's features, she continued, "I know Lena, and she'll tell Jude that I was the one asking. Jude has had a crush on me since she was in middle school. She was also the one who introduced me to your books when she was in high school. I suspect they fed her love of history and also offered her reassurance that she wasn't a weirdo for being attracted to other girls. I'm pretty sure she only developed a crush on me because I was the only lesbian she knew growing up. Even though most of your books don't feature lesbians as the main character, you do write them in and make them realistic. I'm sure it also helped that your coming out story was all over the news when she started high school. And you make a pretty great role model: smart, talented, beautiful, and a lesbian. So, yes, I think Jude will definitely want to help you if she can."

Jumping out of her chair, Alex threw her arms around Olivia. "That is so amazing!"

Trying to stay upright on her injured knee, Olivia reluctantly pushed Alex away sooner than she would have liked. "Sorry, my knee's still feeling kinda weak."

"No, I'm sorry! I should have been more careful," Alex said as she took Olivia's hand in her own. "Let me help you get settled and get some ice for that knee."

Olivia was pretty sure she didn't need Alex's help to get back to the sofa, but she wasn't going to tell her that if it gave her an excuse to hold hands with Alex, she thought to herself. As Alex rummaged around for some ice in the kitchen, she pondered the level of attraction she felt for the blonde. It was definitely sexual attraction, but that was only part of it. She realized that her description of Alex as a role model for Jude, also described what attracted her to Alex as well.

Bringing back a towel-wrapped bag of ice and a cup of coffee, Alex said, "so that was obviously the good news. What was the bad news?"

"Oh, well, I suppose I should have told you that first based on your criteria for good news versus bad news. Since, I'm kinda maimed," Olivia gestured at her knee, "I'm still going to be in your hair for a while longer. I hope that's not a problem. This storm has everyone out in the field. I can't do much with my knee this way and since you've been kind enough to take Sadie and me in, there is no sense in wasting the time and effort getting me out of here that could be better spent helping people who really need it."

With a mischievous sparkle in her blue eyes, Alex said, "Well, Sadie has been a great house guest, I couldn't imagine turning her out into the cold."

Hearing her name, Sadie popped her head up and when Alex clapped her hands, the dog got up and trotted over.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh out loud as her own dog gave her a look that said she was totally enthralled with this new woman. The feeling is mutual Sadie, Olivia thought to herself.


	16. Chapter 16

A.N. Thanks for the reviews everyone. mebklny I have the same problem! This chapter has a lot of phone conversation in it. Hopefully it makes sense.

The sound of her ringing phone forced Olivia to bring her laughter under control. She quickly fished her phone back out of her pocket and answered quickly without looking at the caller ID.

"Benson."

Alex snorted down a laugh at Olivia's abrupt attempt to shift into professional mode. She rose from couch to give the other woman some privacy, but paused when she heard Olivia's greeting.

"Hey, Jude! How are you?"

"I'm good, except a run in with a bear and a dog-stealing, gun-toting maniac," Olivia smirked at Alex. With a look of exaggerated offense, Alex slapped the brunette on her uninjured right thigh.

"Yeah, well, it's kind of a long story. I'll regale you at Thanksgiving. When are you coming home?"

"Yes, it's true." Olivia looked at Alex and rolled her eyes. "Yes, THE Alex Cabot. In fact she's sitting right here."

The response on the other end was so loud even Alex could hear it as Olivia quickly pulled the phone from her ear.

"Whoa! Slow down, Jude. Yes, I agree," Olivia responded to exuberant and babbling voice on the other end of the call. Smiling warmly at Alex "it is totally awesome."

Olivia's smile faltered a little, and Alex noticed that she seemed to give her a thoughtful once over with her warm, brown eyes, before continuing on with her conversation, "Yes, even more so in person."

Olivia, looking a little uncomfortable, put her hand over the microphone on her cell and whispered quietly to Alex, "would you be willing to talk to her? Apparently Lena called her right after we got off the phone and filled her in."

Alex squeezed Olivia's thigh lightly in response and whispered back, "of course." Olivia couldn't help but notice the increased warmth that shot up her body at the increased contact.

Returning to her call, where Jude's incessant and excited ramblings hadn't paused once, Olivia once again began reigning in the young woman on the other end of the phone.

"Yes, it is soooooo cool. I can't believe it either. Listen, Jude, did your Aunt Lena tell you why I called her about Alex?" The voice on the other end calmed a bit and Alex could hear that Olivia was actually given space to respond to Jude this time.

"That's right. Her family has owned property up here for years and she's working on a project about a great uncle who went missing as a child in 1914 and was never found. She's sort of run into a dead end with her research and I suggested the archive at The Book Nook…" Olivia again pulled the phone from her ear as the volume and speed of Jude's voice rose again.

To Alex, Olivia, waving her phone at the blonde, said, "see I told you. Biggest. Fan. Ever."

Putting the phone back to her ear, Olivia interrupted Jude again, "I bet Alex would be totally fascinated by your project. Would you like to talk to her yourself?"

This time the squeal on the other end was so loud; Sadie actually rose up from where Alex had been petting her and put her paw to Olivia's arm. Both women couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Wading back into the enthusiasm of her younger friend's rapid fire monologue about her archive project, Olivia interrupted, "You'll have to show me at Thanksgiving. It sounds totally cool. But if you have the time now, would you be willing to talk to Alex. See if you think there would be anything in the archive that might help her out?"

After another brief explosion of what sounded like nonsense on the phone line, Olivia said, "Okay, I'm going to pass the phone to Alex. Take care, Jude. I'll see you in a couple weeks. I love you too. Okay, bye. Here's Alex."

Pausing before she handed the phone over to Alex, Olivia asked, "are you sure you're up to this?"

Reaching for the phone, Alex laughed and said, "Sure thing. She sounds delightful."

"Hi, Jude. This is Alex Cabot," Alex introduced herself.

Olivia settled back on the couch, enjoying the sound of Alex's voice as she chatted with Jude. She could tell Jude was struggling to reign herself in and not blabber on to the woman who she'd had crushes on since she was in her mid-teens. Olivia couldn't really blame Jude. Alex was a great writer and clearly a good historian. Both things that Jude wanted to pursue. And the purely physical crush Jude had on the beautiful woman sitting beside Olivia at that moment was sort of a no brainer. As the conversation started to turn toward Jude's project with the archive, Olivia closed her eyes. She felt more content than she could remember feeling in years with the soothing sounds of Alex's voice, as she made inquiries about and suggestions for Jude's thesis. She would likely have drifted off to sleep if it wasn't for the fact that Alex's hand was still on her thigh; and the blonde kept fingering the fabric of her trousers, pinching it together and then smoothing it out over the muscles in Olivia's leg.


	17. Chapter 17

Olivia woke to Sadie nuzzling her arm. Reaching out to stroke her dog's neck, she could hear that Alex was still talking animatedly to Jude. Getting up she grabbed her coat, slipped into her boots, and stepped outside with Sadie. The storm had calmed, the winds had died down, but the snow was still falling steadily. As she reflected on the feeling of calm and contentment that had settled into her soul in increasingly deeper layers since she had been here with Alex, she threw a stick from the kindling pile for Sadie, who raced after it again and again, frolicking in the snow. Not used to throwing with her left arm, she finally had to call an end to the game, much sooner than the dog would have liked. But Sadie came and sat next to Olivia, in silent companionship, both watching the snowflakes drift down to become part of the soft, muted, landscape.

Olivia was amazed at how comfortable she'd felt with Alex in such a short time. She had developed a habit over the years of keeping everyone at a bit of a distance, of keeping vigilant lest someone get too close to her, close enough to hurt. For she worried not only about getting hurt herself, but also feared hurting someone else. Intellectually, she knew this was a result of her childhood and her relationship with her alcoholic mother and non-existent father. Although upon learning about who her father was when she was just ten years old, she couldn't fault her mother for acting like he didn't exist. Still, she'd had enough of rejection every time her mother drank herself into oblivion; enough when she was young and foolish, believing that something more than a few nights of experimental sex was what the string of straight girls who found her attractive and safe wanted; enough when her first real girlfriend rejected her when she learned about Olivia's father.

But Alex was different somehow. She couldn't explain it to herself. The best she could do was recognize that she felt at ease with Alex like no one else. Well, no one else except Sadie. Laughing at the thought of explaining to Alex that she made Olivia feel like her dog did, Olivia got up and threw Sadie's stick for her one more time before gathering up some firewood to carry into the cabin.

As she reached for the doorknob, balancing the wood in the crook of her left arm, Alex opened the door for her. She was still on the phone with Jude, but it sounded like they had moved away from talking local history to making plan to meet sometime when Alex returned to Boston. Olivia grinned instinctively at the sight of Alex's brilliant blue eyes and her wide smile. Okay, she thought to herself, maybe the feelings of contentment are the same as I get spending time with my dog, but the other feelings, the ones that made her heart speed up and her feel like her body temperature was about to top out were definitely not the same.

Olivia put the wood down by the fireplace, hung up her coat, and stepped out of her boots. She headed to the kitchen to refill her coffee cup, raising the pot to Alex to ask if she wanted a refill too. When the blonde shook her head no, Olivia returned to the fireplace to clear out some of the ash from overnight and to build up the dying flames. Finishing her task, she sat perched on the ottoman, drinking her coffee and watching the flames. She was so intent on the flickering reds, yellows, and oranges that she didn't notice Alex had gotten off the phone and was standing just behind her.

Alex had wound down her conversation with Jude. They had made plans to meet for lunch sometime before Jude's winter break so Jude could walk her through using the database she was developing and which the young woman had already been so generous to share with Alex via a cloud service. Alex had watched as Olivia cleaned out the fireplace and built the fire back up. The brunette was only wearing her tank top and sports bra. She had not bothered to put on more than her uniform parka to go outside, which made Alex think she must have fire in her veins. The thought had made Alex shiver, in part because Alex always felt cold going outside in the winter, but also because it made her wonder what it would feel like to touch Olivia, to hold her close. To feel Olivia's body against hers, her arms wrapped around her. She had admired the faintly bronzed muscles on display as Olivia worked, the right arm held back slightly and marked by the white bandage around the bicep, a faint glistening of sweat highlighting the definition of each bundle of muscle as the ranger worked in the heat of the flames. She had imagined Olivia could do a lot to warm her up. She had turned rather abruptly back to her computer to refocus on saying goodbye to Jude, thanking her again for her help and promising to pass on her good-byes and well-wishes to Olivia.

Now as Alex stood behind Olivia, watching her mesmerized by the fire, she couldn't help herself and she reach out placing her hand on Olivia's partially bare shoulder. She only realized she was holding her breath when she felt Olivia reach up and take hold of her fingers. While the moment could only have lasted a brief second, it felt like eternity. Olivia turned to smile up at her as she gently pulled Alex down to sit next to her on the ottoman.

"Did you have a good conversation with Jude," Olivia asked. "I bet she talked your ear off."

"That she did," Alex laughed in response. "But she's terrific. I already have her latest copy of the archive database and we have a tentative lunch date when I get back to Boston. Just in case I have any problems using the database. Although I can't see that being an issue. I've just glanced through it, but its really well-designed."

It was Olivia's turn to laugh, "I bet it's more of an excuse to meet you in person. I'd love to be fly on the wall at that lunch. She's going to be so excited."

"Well, I just hope I live up to her expectations."

"I'm pretty sure you will."

An easy silence fell over the pair as they just sat and enjoyed the fire and their closeness.

Finally, Alex spoke. "So, It sounds like you weren't totally honest with me, Olivia."

The brunette's head snapped around. "What?!," Olivia asked.

"I had the impression that while you knew who I was as an author, you hadn't given me much thought beyond that. But after hearing your side of the conversation with Jude, I have a few questions.:

Olivia could feel her face flush and could only hope that the heat of the fire would provide an easy excuse."


End file.
